Spring-wheel.



W. S. HANCOCK. SPRING WHEEL. APPLICATION man an 213, m2.

Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

V INVENTOR Winfield 5. Hancock- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WINFIELD S. HANCOCK, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO AUGUSTA V. MITCHELL, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.; H. ROZIER DULANY, JR., COMMITTEE OF THE PERSON AND TRUSTEE OF THE ESTATE OF SAID W. S. HANCOCK, TOGETHER WITH SAID A. V. MITCHELL, .ASSIGNORS TO THE A. V. M. SPRING WHEEL COMPANY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SPRING-WHEEL.

1,274,877, Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 28, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VINFIELD S. HAN- COCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-VVheels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

his invention relates to automobile wheels, and has for its object the production of an eflicient resilient automobile wheel, the spokes of which will allow the wheel to yield in order to absorb the shock, as the wheel passes over a rough road.

Another object of this invention is the production of a simple and eliicient spring wheel, the spokes of which are so formed on a gradual curve as to allow the shock which will occur as the wheel passes over a rough road to be well distributed over the wheel and revent the possibility of breaking the springs, as would be the case, if a spring spoke were used having a number of bowed or twisted portions.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists of certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wheel.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the wheel.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section through a portion of the rim of the wheel.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section showing a modified form of the manner of connecting the outer ends of the spokes.

Fig. 5 is a modified form of the manner of connecting the inner ends of the spokes to the hub.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of a portion of the felly plate which engages the outer end of the spring spokes.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the wheel comprises the hub journal 1 having circumferential flanges 2 spaced so as to constitute a socket for receiving the inner ends of the spokes 3. The inner ends of the spokes are provided with enlarged Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

Serial No. 700,246.

heads 4, which heads taper toward their inner ends and fit snugly against each other to form a substantially solid hub. The spokes 3 are arranged in pairs so as to constitute substantially elongated oval spoke members. of each of the spokes are provided with registering apertures 5, in which apertures lit the bolts 6 for firmly holding the inner ends of the spokes 3 in engagen'ient with the hub 1. These bolts (3 will prevent the inner ends of the spokes :3 from being removed from the hub 1. and will. therefore. constitute a very efficient securing means. It should be understood. however. that in case one of the spokes 3 should bermue. broken or fractured, the same may be removed and another spoke placed therein so as to complete the pair of spokes. These spokes are similarly formed. and therefore may be used interchangeably thereby greatly simplifying the manufacturing of the spokes.

The folly 7 of the wheel carries the usual resilient tire 8 and this felly 7 is provided along its inner face with a. plurality of sockets 9. A folly band 10 is carried by the inner face of the folly 7, and this folly band is provided with a plurality of sockets ll which fit in the sockets 9. This will. therefore, form or constitute a pocket for the outer ends of the spokes 3. Each of the spokes 3 is provided with a lateral foot 12, and these feet 12 of each of the spokes 3 fit in the pocket 11, as indicated in Fig. 3, having their adjacent ends abutting. A substantially U-shapecl clamping member 13 is placed over the laterally extending feet 12 of the spokes 3, and these feet 12 are. firmly held within the socket 11 by means of the clamping plates 13. These clamping plates 13 are provided with parallel side members 14, which side members are firmly held in engagement with the folly 7, by means of bolts 15. It will, therefore, be seen that the clamping plates 13 may not become accidentally removed from the sockets 11, for the reason that the bolts 15 will firmly hold the clamping plate 13 with in the socket. It will first be necessary to remove the bolt 15 from the felly to enable the clamping plate 13 to be removed there The adjacent faces of the heads trom, and when it is desired to replace a new spoke in the wheel, or remove an old one, of course, the clamping plate '13 will first have to be ren'ioved' in order to allow the foot 12 of the spoke 3 to be displaced from the socket 11. The usual nuts 16 are employed to hold the bolts (3 and 15 firmly in their place.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the feet 19 of the spokes 3 may be overlapped, and in this manner held iirnily in the socket 11 by means of the clamping plate 13. ,flhe plate 13 in each instance is formed similar to that above described.

In Fig. 5 there is shown an embodimentof the invention wherein the pairs of spokes 3 are formed in one piece having a loop head 17 formed so as to fit overarfiller block 18. This filler block is held in place by means of a bolt 19- passing through the flanges of the hub 1, andithishead 17 and block 18 taper toward their inner ends. so as to lower the inner ends of the spokes 3 to lit snugly together in the same manner as illustrated inF 1g. 1. In the structure as illustrated in Fig. 5, if one portion of the spoke 3 should break, the entire spoke would have to be removed, and a new pair substituted therefor, but in the embodiment, as illustrated in Fig. 1, each spoke 3 may be separately removed or inserted independently of the other spoke 3 of the same pair.

From the foregoing descriptiomit will be seen that a-very eflicieut and'durable structure has been produced whiclrwill facilitate the removal of the spokes from the wheel in case one of the spokes should become broken or unfit for use, and, furthermore, owing to the gradual elongated curved construction of the spokes, it 'will'be seen-that the pressure upon the wheel willv-be 'gradually taken up throughout the entire length of the spoke. From actual experience with spring Whee1s,,it will be noted that where Spokes are-employed, formed of a number of convolutions,

or a number of bowedportions, these bowed portions tend to weaken the spoke owingto the fact that the spoke is .very likely to become congested at its bowed portion thereby causing the resiliency of the spoke to be taken up by only one or more'of the small convolutions. In the present device, illustrated, this objectionable feature is overcome, owing to the gradual tapering or bowed spokes and it should be understood that by the present structure illustrated and described, the gradual compression of the wheelmaytake )lace whereby the pressure will betaken up by the whole Wheel, and 'will not depend upon one of the spokes alone. I

As illustrated in Fig. 6, the folly band 10 comprises a substantially U-shaped body in cross section, the sockets 11 being formed by punching the outer portion of the folly band inwardly as indicated in Fig. 6. The side flanges 14- of the clampingplates 13 straddle the sides of the folly band 10, and the bolts 15 pass through the apertures 20 formed in the side flanges of the folly band. This telly band 10 is formed in a pair of sections having its adjacent ends connected by means oi connecting plates '21, thereby facilitating the placing of the band It) upon the folly and also facilitating the removal thereof from the folly.

'hat is claimed is:

1. A spring wheel of the class described comprising a hub, a felly, a felly plate positioned upon said folly and provided with a plurality of sockets formed therein having open sides, the ends of said sockets being beveled, sectional spokes secured to said hub andprovided with inwardly bent feet-adapted to tit in said sockets, said spokes adapted to lie snugly against the beveled ends of said sockets, a. clamping plate stratldling said sockets and engaging said inwardly extending feet of said spokes. said clamping plate provided with beveled sides adapted to hold said sectional spokes snugly in engagement with said beveled ends of said sockets whereby said spokes will be held against yielding movement relative to said sockets.

said clamping plates provided with parallel flanges, said flanges projecting beyond the depth of said sockets, and means passing transversely through said fell y and through said flanges for lirmly holding said flanges in engagement with said felly and holding said clamping plate against accidental re moval from said folly. the inner edge of said clamping plate being'on the same plane with the inner edge of said fellv plate.

2. A spring wheel of the class described comprising a hub, a telly plate. said telly plate provided with a circumferential -rib upon its inner face. a substantially U-shaped channel plate positioned upon said rib, said rib provided with a plurality of notches, socket portions struck from said telly plate and fitting snugly within said notches-for holding said plate against circumferential movement relative to said folly, sectional spokes detachably carried by said hub, clamping members straddling the outer ends of said sectional spring spokes for securely holding the same in engagement with said telly plate, and means for holding -'said clamping member in engagement. with said telly plate.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' WINFIELD S. HANCOCK. Witnesses: 7

IRVING L. MCGAII-IRAN, M. C. Brianna.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

